A View from the Bridge--Reading Log

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The play “A View from the Bridge” is a play written by Arthur Miller on September 29, 1955, tells the story of Eddie Carbone a tragic hero who lives with his wife, Beatrice and niece, Catherine whom he is infatuated with despite being married, it is his clear obsession with his niece that leads up to his inevitable death, a trait that all tragic heroes possess. This text tells the tales of betrayal as Eddie reports Marco and Rodolfo, his own family, to the government identifying them as illegal immigrants and revenge as the duo attempt to seek it. An interesting notion the text presents is the clear discrimination of homosexuality and stereotypical responses that people portray. This is shown with Rodolfo and Eddie’s relationship with each other. Eddie questions Rodolfo’s sexual orientation stating that “The guy ain’t right”. He stereotypically identifies Rodolfo as gay due to the personality traits he shows because he cooks, sings and sews a dress for his niece, Catherine, and also criticizes him on his appearance due to having blonde hair. This is a highly negative and stereotypical view on both gay men and women alike as it questions a man’s muscularity because he cooks and sings, but also attacks women’s femininity and rights as it implies a man’s dominance of power in he relation. This can be seen in the “double kiss” scene, where Eddie coming home drunk witnesses Catherine and Rodolfo kissing, he then forces a kiss upon Catherine and one upon Rodolfo, without first beating him. I believe that this scene is important as it is the start of Eddie’s struggle to maintain power over his family and his relationships with the cast. Many critiques view the “double kiss” scene as Eddie’s release for his sexual desires, forcing a kiss upon Catherine, whom he sexually lusts and one on Rodolfo, which questions his own sexuality and implies that his quarrels with
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